In 2025, much of the historic 19th century geological collection reposited at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, was transferred to the Orton Geological Museum for long-term safekeeping and stewardship. Through a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program, administered through the National Park Service, this amazing collection will be conserved, curated, and documented in a project that draws on the talents of scientists and artists at Ohio State, Ohio Wesleyan, and the Ohio Geological Survey. This collection adds significantly to the Orton Museum collection, which already had been a repository for many specimens collected in the early years of the Geological Survey of Ohio, or acquired through trade among contacts elsewhere. Recent articles in Scientia and in Open Access Government provide an overview of the scientific and historical significance of the collection.

This work is being produced with assistance from the Save America’s Treasures Program, administered by the National Park Service, US Department of the Interior under the Grant Number P25AP01904-00. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.